The rain pounded against the glass of the bridge of the USS Montana, accompanied by the Fletcher-class destroyers USS Demeter and USS Johnston, thunder rumbling through the sky. “Steady as she goes, helm” Captain Vincent Moore said, peering through the thick fog that had accompanied the rain and thunder, frowning. The storm had come from nowhere and engulfed the trio of ships, making navigation difficult. “Radio, make sure the Demeter and Johnston maintain formation; we don’t need any collisions in this storm” he said, glancing to the radio operator, who nodded in confirmation. The Montana was the first of the Montana-class battleships, and, if everything went smoothly, would eventually replace the Iowa-class battleships currently in service. Though roughly the same size as an Iowa, the Montana class had an additional 16 inch gun turret, with a total of twelve 16 inch guns, compared to the nine an Iowa class had. Main battery aside, the Montana also had thicker armor and a larger secondary and AA battery, though it was slower than an Iowa because of the extra armor and weapons.
“Sir, new contact!” the radar operator shouted out, glancing up from his screen to the captain. “Bearing 323, medium range!” he added, frowning again. “Multiple contacts, sir! Fifty or more!” the operator added, a panicked expression on his face. Battleship or not, the Montana would be hard pressed to survive an onslaught from a fleet of fifty ships; the destroyers would definitely be sunk. More to the point, though, this unknown fleet shouldn’t have been there.
Vincent swore under his breath, grabbing the microphone for the PA system of the Montana. “General quarters. This is not a drill. All hands, man your battle stations” Vincent said, placing the microphone back. “Hard to port! I want us ready for a broadside if need be!” Vincent barked, and the helmsman nodded, spinning the ships wheel hard, starting the lumbering battleship into its turn. “Order the Demeter and Johnston into a line formation! Now!” Vincent said, glancing out the glass of the bridge again, watching as the fog slowly began to thin and lift. Hopefully it’d lift soon and give them a better view of the waters surrounding them. Slowly, the fog lifted, revealing a shoreline and what looked like a city; one that was burning. “Ahead one third! Rudder amidships!” Vincent ordered, watching as the main battery slowly swiveled towards the bearing of the massive fleet they had detected.
Meanwhile
Aboard the flagship AES Realia, of the Third Fleet of the Agean Empire, the admiral of the fleet frowned, watching the city of Eresis, capital of the nation of Namura burned, numerous fires burning from the bombardment of the Third Fleet. The majority of the Namuran Home Fleet had been lured away in a feint, and had been left exposed for a rapid strike that the military leadership hoped would bring a swift end to the war that had been raging for nearly two months now. Most of the cities coastal defenses had been neutralized, and it was only a matter of time until they were forced to surrender under the bombardment.
Shortly after the bombardment had begun three days ago, a heavy fog had settled down over the city, accompanied by the occasional rainstorm, reducing visibility for both sides. The odds of the Namuran fleet realizing it had been lured away in time to defend the city were low, however, especially given the poor visibility. The admiral figured they would surrender shortly, and he’d be rewarded greatly for this victory by the Emperor himself. His enjoyment of the moment was shattered, however, when a lookout came running up to him, sweat pouring down his face. “Sir! Something is moving in the fog!” the lookout said, clearly panicked.
“What?! That’s impossible!” the admiral exclaimed, grabbing the spyglass from the lookout. “Where?!” he demanded, glaring at the lookout; if he was wrong, the admiral would have his head. The lookout meekly pointed in the direction he had spotted the object, and the admiral directed his gaze towards it. After a moment, the admiral’s jaw dropped; a massive warship, dwarfing any of the ships in his fleet was emerging from the fog, strange lights illuminating its super structure. The massive ship itself was accompanied by two smaller vessels, illuminated in their own strange lights, some sweeping over the fleet. Obviously this was some sort of Namuran secret weapon. “Signal all ships to shift their fire! Sink that monstrosity! I will not have this victory snatched from me!” the admiral snarled, shoving the spyglass back at the lookout. It was at that moment that the massive ships side erupted in fire with a deafening roar, and several ships of his fleet suddenly burst into flames, sending splintered timber and burning embers into the air, the ships belching smoke into the sky.
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